


Green Beer Tastes Better

by thatwriterlady



Series: Wine And Roses [5]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel Loves Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester Loves Castiel, Dean is a Softie, Dean loves Poppy, Drinking, F/F, Falling deeper in love, Fluff, Fun Vacation, Green Beer, M/M, Parade, St. Patrick's Day, puppy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-17
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-10-09 21:19:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10421979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatwriterlady/pseuds/thatwriterlady
Summary: Dean and Cas head up to Chicago to go to the Northside St. Patty's Day parade.  Dean makes a big fuss of bringing Poppy with, and Cas comes to realize something very important about his boyfriend.Even after just a few months of dating, he is absolutely, irrevocably in love with Dean Winchester.





	

**Author's Note:**

> My apologies for not posting this on the 17th like I had planned. I've been battling severe pain and my anxiety has been through the roof for weeks now. I know, I don't have to apologize for being late, but I'm disappointed in myself for not being able to stick to my own deadline.
> 
> I have a torn ligament in my right hip that is not healing as fast or as well as I would like. It was finally starting to get better, but I guess too much of sitting in the wrong positions and sleeping wrong, it started tearing all over again. It's excruciating. Add into that the fact that the disc I had herniated in a car accident in 2010 popped out again and well, a normal person's pain level of 10 would be my 4. I stopped writing or doing much of anything as I tried to cope with that. I'm feeling better now, sleeping more carefully, and some exercises got the disc to go back in, so I was able to finish writing this story for the series. I do hope you all like it.

 

 

**St. Patty’s Day~**

 

“I’m sorry, we’re going _where_?”  Cas gaped at his grinning boyfriend.

 

“Chicago.  We’re going to spend the weekend.  We’ll head up Friday, Saturday is the parade, and Sunday we can sleep in, then make the drive back.  It’s not just us going.  Sam’s coming, Charlie, Benny.  We can bring Poppy.  I sort of got her a bandana.”  Dean held up a little doggy bandana.  It was black with little green shamrocks all over it.  Despite the initial surprise, Cas found himself laughing as he took the little scrap of fabric from his boyfriend and turned it around in his hands.  It was actually a collar that clipped on rather than just tied on.  Dean hadn’t paid for a cheap $1 bandana.  He never skimped where Poppy or Riot were concerned.

 

“She’s going to look adorable.” 

 

“Yeah?  You think?”  Dean scooted closer on the couch and laid an arm across the back of it.  “I think we’re going to have fun.  Green beer, Guinness, Jamison, it’s going to be a great weekend.  I’ll book us the hotel rooms in a little bit so we don’t have to worry at the last minute about where we’re staying.” 

 

“I’ll start packing.  It’s going to be cold, we should dress warm.”  Cas snuggled into Dean’s side, smiling when his boyfriend kissed his temple gently.

 

“Does Poppy have a coat?” 

 

“No, she’s never outside all that long, plus she has fairly long fur.  Do you think she’ll need one?”  Castiel asked.

 

“Why don’t we take her to go and get one now, that way we’ll start getting her used to car rides.”  Dean said.  Castiel nodded.

 

“Alright.  I’ll get the dog, you get her leash.” 

 

Dean was on his feet and heading to do exactly that.

 

“You got it!”

 

  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

They spent the two weeks leading up to the trip getting Poppy used to being in the car.  It turned out they didn’t need to try so hard, she loved car rides.  The afternoon they were leaving, Dean was already at Cas’ house waiting, leaning back against the Impala looking handsome as ever as he scrolled through his phone.  Cas wondered if it was too soon to give the man a key to his house.  He figured it might be, but maybe by the end of spring it might be the right time.  The moment he pulled up next to the Impala, Dean tucked his phone away and came around to his door to greet him with a kiss as he got out.

 

“How were the kids today?”  He asked.

 

“Not too bad.  St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t hold a lot of weight in public schools anymore.  On the actual day I’ll see quite a bit of green shirts, but that’ll be about it.  I’m looking forward to the parade tomorrow.  I’ve never been to a parade before.”  Castiel stretched once he’d gotten out of the car.  His back had been bothering him and he hoped maybe he could talk Dean into giving him a massage once they were at the hotel.

 

“That’s good.  So, I have all of my stuff in the trunk but I brought some portable dishes and a few toys for Poppy as well as a collapsible crate for the hotel room.  I thought it would be easier to fit that one into the car than her big metal one.”  Dean said as they started for the house.

 

“You’re too good to me.  I’ll pay you back for them.”  Castiel slipped his key into the lock and opened the door.

 

“Nah, I love the dog.  She sort of stole my heart.  Riot too.  She keeps my chest warm on the colder nights when you’ve moved to the other side of the bed.”  Dean teased as he closed the door behind them and they started for the kitchen.  Castiel laughed as he opened Poppy’s kennel, letting the excited pup out of her kennel.  She made a beeline for Dean, dancing around his feet and whining until he crouched down to pet her.

 

“You gotta go out?  Tell your daddy to go grab his bags and I’ll let you out.”  He cooed.  Poppy whined and licked his cheek, making him grin.  “Come on girl.”  He stood back up and walked her to the sliding glass door while Cas headed upstairs to grab his bags. 

 

While Poppy did her business, Cas and Dean took the bags out to the car and after some rearranging they got everything into the trunk.  Cas smiled when he saw that Dean had gone so far as to get a special pet seat cover for the back seat, and had put a dog bed on the seat for her. 

 

“Dean, what is this?”

 

“I want her to be comfortable for the drive.”  Dean shrugged and scratched nervously at the back of his neck.  Cas hooked his fingers in Dean’s Henley and pulled him forward so he could kiss him.

 

“You’re a wonderful man, and you spoil me.  I was worrying that her nails might tear the leather, but you allayed that fear.  I brought her favorite blanket too, to put in her crate so she has something that smells like home.”

 

“Good idea.  I’ll go and get her.  If there’s anything else you want to bring, you might want to grab it now.”  Dean told him. 

 

They headed back into the house and Castiel did one last check.  When he came back downstairs with his favorite sweater in hand, he found Dean and Poppy were already out at the car.  After making sure Riot had full bowls of food and water for the few days they would be away, and that she’d received adequate hugs and kisses (not that she wanted them), he locked up the house and went out to the car.

 

Dean secured Poppy with the special dog seat belt they had bought when they’d gone to the pet store a few weeks earlier while Cas got settled in the passenger seat.  Poppy wasn’t making it easy on Dean.  She kept licking his face and Cas ended up in stitches when he turned around in his seat to watch them.  Once the pup was secure, Dean pulled a package of wet wipes from his pocket and pulled one out to wipe his face off.

 

“You are the most prepared man I know.”  Cas mused as Dean slid in behind the wheel.

 

“I like being prepared.  It means we won’t have to stop because we forgot something.  We’ll just be making a stop so we can all pee.  It’s not a really long drive.  We can eat dinner once we’re there.”

 

Dean started the car and Cas let out a contented sigh at the sound the purring engine made.  Poppy sat behind Cas’ seat, tongue lolling out of her mouth happily as she stared out the window.  They were going on their first road trip.  Dean hoped it was just the first of many.

 

  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

The drive went smoothly.  Once they hit the highway Poppy got bored and laid down.  She slept most of the ride.  They decided to wait until they were at the hotel to pee, and once they were parked, Dean left Cas to take Poppy for a little walk while he got them checked in.  Cas was at the trunk, unloading their bags when Dean came out with a cart.

 

“We brought a lot for a simple weekend trip.”  Cas pointed out as they loaded their bags onto the cart.

 

“That’s ok though.  We’re traveling with Poppy and most of this stuff is hers.  I’m bringing her dog bed inside too.  I’ll put it in the kennel so she’s comfortable.”  Dean grabbed the bed off the backseat and added that onto the cart.  He deliberately ignored his boyfriend’s look of amusement.

 

“Hey, is this your dog, Cas?”

 

They turned to see Sam crossing the parking lot, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder and a huge smile on his face.  He made a beeline straight for Poppy who was wagging her tail excitedly at the sight of a new person.

 

“Yes, this is Poppy.”  Cas stepped aside so Sam could see her better.  “Poppy, sit.”  He commanded.  She immediately plopped her butt down on the ground, though the tail continued to swish excitedly.  Sam crouched down to scratch her ears and coo to her.  Dean snorted and rolled his eyes but Cas could see the grin on his face.

 

“Let’s get inside, it’s cold as balls out here.”  Dean said.  Sam stood back up and followed them as they started for the door.

 

“You guys already checked in?”  He asked.

 

“Yeah.  We’re on the third floor.”  Dean replied.

 

“Cool.  You guys going out tonight?”  Sam paused at the front desk while Cas jabbed the elevator button.

 

“Nah.  We’re going to eat dinner and relax for a bit before bed.  Gotta be up early if we’re going to find any kind of parking tomorrow.  I don’t want to park 10 miles out and have to walk.  That’s not fair to Poppy, and I’m not carrying her.  She’s what, 40 pounds now, Cas?”  Dean looked at his boyfriend who was nodding.

 

“Last vet visit she was 42.”

 

“Yeah, _not_ carrying that!”  Dean huffed. 

 

Sam was listening as he checked in and Cas held the elevator for him once it arrived.

 

“What floor are you on?”  He asked.

 

“Fifth.  I think I’m going to unpack and go check out the exercise room.”  Sam said.  Cas perked up at that.

 

“Oh?  There’s an exercise room?  I’d like to go with you.”

 

Dean rolled his eyes fondly at them.

 

“Fine, whatever.  Poppy and me, we’re going to watch some quality cinema while we wait for our pizza to arrive, aren’t we girl?”  He ruffled the dog’s ear and she licked his wrist.

 

“So, you’re going to force my dog to watch Doctor Sexy, is that it?”  Cas asked, leaning in to snag a kiss, despite Dean’s meager protests.

 

“Don’t try kissing me after insulting me.  It doesn’t work like that.”  He grumbled, but Cas could see right through him.  Even Sam was laughing.

 

They parted ways at the third floor, and Sam told Cas he’d meet him in the lobby in 20 minutes.  While Dean manned the cart, Cas took the key card and opened their bedroom door.

 

“This is nice.”  He said as he flipped the light switch, flooding the room in bright light.

 

“I’ve stayed with this chain before.  I like the way they do business.  It’s clean and organized.  And look, there’s room under the window for Poppy’s kennel.”  Dean pushed the cart into the room and began unloading bags.  He put theirs in the closet but set the one they’d packed for the dog on the desk by the television.  Her collapsible crate was put by the window.  He’d set it up later.

 

After changing into a pair of sweatpants and putting on his running shoes, Cas took the cart and left.  Alone with just Poppy, Dean settled back in the bed and kicked his shoes off.  Poppy jumped up to join him, laying across the bed so that her head was resting in his lap.  His fingers absently stroked through her fur as he searched for something interesting to watch.  He settled on the new Independence Day movie, even though it was 20 minutes in.  After placing the order for pizza, he let himself focus on the plot and get lost in the storyline.  Roughly an hour later the food arrived, and after getting Poppy to stop barking, he went to answer the door.  Before feeding himself, he put down food for Poppy.  By the time she was done eating, Cas was walking in the door from his workout.  He looked good in his shorts, his skin glistening with sweat.

 

“Oh, perfect timing.”  He said when he spotted the pizza box.  “But I have to take Poppy for a walk first.” 

 

He snapped the leash on his dog’s collar and led her out of the room.  Dean poured himself a cup of the Coke he’d ordered with the pizza, and with drink and box in hand, went back to finish his movie.  When Cas returned he snagged a slice of pizza and headed for the bathroom to jump in the shower.  Poppy busied herself with investigating her portable kennel and the toys that had been purchased special just for this trip.  Dean was on his third slice when Cas came out of the bathroom.  A towel was wrapped loosely around his waist as he dried his hair with another, smaller one.  He crawled into the bed and snagged another piece as he laid back against the pillows.

 

“How’s the gym?”  Dean asked him.

 

“It’s nicer than some professional gyms.  Mostly I just used the treadmill, ran about 10 miles.”  Cas finished his slice and reached for another one.

 

“Was Sam still down there when you came back?” 

 

“No, he spotted a girl and went to talk to her.  Never came back.”  Cas laughed.  Dean snorted and shook his head.

 

“Why am I not surprised?”

 

They finished the rest of the pizza and set the box on the desk.  While Dean went to brush his teeth and put on his pajamas, Cas slipped into a pair of underwear and got Poppy set up in her kennel before Dean came back. 

 

“You not putting on pajamas tonight?”  Dean asked as he pulled the covers back.

 

“It’s warm in here, I don’t think I need any.”  Cas replied as he headed back to the bathroom.

 

Dean took off his jeans, opting to just sleep in his boxer briefs and tee shirt, and when Cas came back into the room, he hit the light switch and joined Dean in the bed.

 

“You set the alarm?”  He asked as he pulled the covers up to his chest.

 

“Yep.”  Dean turned on his side and reached out to grab Cas and pull him closer.

 

“Make sure you bring your hat and gloves tomorrow.  It’s going to be cold.”  Cas yawned and snuggled in closer.

 

“I will.  I have a scarf too, don’t worry.  Got one for you too, in case you forgot.”  Dean buried his nose against the back of Cas’ neck and closed his eyes.  Within minutes they were both asleep.

 

  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

“What took you guys so long?”  Sam complained the moment Cas and Dean stepped out of the elevator.

 

“Well, we weren’t the only ones that had to get ready.”  Dean motioned towards Poppy who was walking between them, dressed in a fleece lined, black leather jacket, her jaunty little bandana around her neck.  Sam broke out in a wide smile.

 

“Damn that’s cute.”

 

“Dean picked out the coat.”  Cas looked fondly at his boyfriend.  “Apparently she wouldn’t look cool unless she was in leather like him.”

 

“What?  She looks awesome.”  Dean reached down to scratch the pup behind her ear.  Her tail wagged happily and she licked his hand.

 

“Too bad she’s not wearing one of those cute tutus.”  Sam said as they started for the lobby where Charlie and her girlfriend Gilda were waiting.  Both women squealed the moment they saw the puppy.

 

“Oh my _God_!  She’s so _cute_!”  Charlie exclaimed as she dropped to her knees on the lobby floor and let the puppy jump into her arms.

 

“She’s precious.”  Gilda agreed as she knelt down and petted Poppy too.

 

“Where’s Benny?”  Dean asked.

 

“Right here, brother.” 

 

They turned to see the man crossing the lobby to get to them. 

 

“Are you going to be warm enough?”  Cas frowned at the thin jacket the man was wearing.

 

“Well, you see, your boyfriend taught me the benefits of layering.  I’m wearing a thermal, long sleeved shirt, a flannel, and my coat.  I also have a hat and a scarf in my pocket.”  Benny replied.

 

“Ok.  It gets really windy here, you’ll want to be as warm as possible.”  Cas told him.

 

Dean noticed Cas was not wearing a scarf, so he pulled one of the two he’d brought with him and wrapped it around his boyfriend’s neck.  He tugged Cas’ hat down tighter over his ears too before wrapping his own scarf around his neck.

 

“We ready to go?”  Charlie asked as she got back up.  She helped Gilda up too.

 

“Yep.  We’re taking Sam’s truck, that way there’s room for everyone, and we don’t have to try and park multiple vehicles.”  Dean replied. 

 

“Sounds good.”  She linked hands with her girlfriend while Dean linked hands with Cas.

 

“I’m not holding your hand.”  Benny eyeballed Sam when the man looked his way.  Sam barked out a startled laugh.

 

“Feeling’s mutual!”

 

  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

Sam’s truck was spacious but with six people and a dog, it was a tight fit.  By the grace of God, they found a parking spot within a reasonable walking distance.  Cas left the bag he’d brought with food and bowls for Poppy in the truck for the time being, figuring they could stop back to feed her before they got lunch for themselves, and then they started walking.

                                       

“Hey, what do you think about coming back up here for the Pride parade in June?  It’s pretty awesome.  Sam, Charlie and I go every year, but I’d like to bring you this year.”  Dean asked as they found a spot that would give them a good view of the parade.

 

“I’d love that.  Same deal?  Drive up that Friday?”  Cas pulled the scarf up a little higher to cover his lips.  The wind was bitter and they were already dry enough.

 

“Yeah, except we don’t have to hurry back Sunday.  If you want to stay a few extra days, we’ll stay.”  Dean replied.

 

“Well, let me see if I have to teach a summer school class this year.  If I do, we’ll have to come back.” 

 

“That’s fine.  If we do, we’ll take a trip somewhere once you’re done.”  Dean looked down at Poppy.  She was sitting on his feet, ears perked up as she watched all of the people gathering.  When a couple with a Boston walked past, Poppy jumped up and started barking excitedly.

 

“Poppy!  Quiet!”  Cas commanded.  The pup immediately quieted, though she watched the other dog until it disappeared from her line of sight.  Only then did she return to her seat on top of Dean’s feet.

 

“Is she sitting on you?”  Cas asked, chuckling as he looked down at his dog.

 

“She’s keeping my feet warm and I’m keeping her butt from freezing by sitting on the cold concrete.  We’re both winning here.”  Dean replied.

 

They huddled together in the cold winter air as they waited for the parade to start.  By the time it did, the entire area was packed with people.  Cas didn’t mind too much though.  Less of the cold wind was getting through, so they were managing to stay just a little warmer.  Poppy watched each float as it passed by, ears perked to the sounds of laughter from the crowds, eyes peeled to the flashes of color and people dancing atop each of the shiny floats.  Plastic necklaces with green shamrocks were thrown into the crowds and Dean managed to snag a few.  He slipped one around his own neck, and a second around Cas’.  Seeing that his friends had collected ones too, he bent down to loop one around Poppy’s neck.

 

“Dean, what are you doing?”  Cas laughed.

 

“Getting her in the spirit of the holiday.”  Dean grinned as he stood back up.  “Besides, look how cute she is.”

 

Cas looked down at his dog to see her staring up at them, her tail wagging excitedly.  When he turned to Dean, he could see pure joy written all over his face.  It hit him in that moment just how much he loved this man, and how, despite internal debates and many nights of thinking, and thinking that Dean could be “the one”, he knew right then and there that Dean was, without a doubt the person he was meant to spend the rest of his life with.  Thinking such a thing and actually _knowing_ it were two completely different things.  He brought a hand up to cup Dean’s cheek.

 

“I love you.” 

 

Dean blinked, his eyes searching his for what, he wasn’t entirely sure, but then a wide, happy smile broke out across his face.

 

“I love you too.”

 

Cas wrapped his arms around Dean’s waist and snuggled in closer.

 

“Are you cold?”  Dean rubbed his back as he asked.

 

“Not really.  It’s tolerable.”  Cas replied. 

 

More floats went by and more stuff was thrown into the crowds.  It became a chore to keep Poppy from eating the candies that were tossed in their direction since she assumed anything that landed in front of her was a toy to be played with.  Dean ended up scooping the pup up and holding her in his arms for the last half hour of the parade.

 

“Damn, she’s more than 42 pounds.”  He grumbled as they moved to start walking back to the truck.  Cas took Poppy from him and set her back down once they were away from all of the junk that had been thrown down.  Dean hung on to the leash though, moving at the dog’s pace as she investigated all of the new smells she encountered.  His free arm was around Cas’ waist. 

 

“We going to go get some lunch and maybe some beer?”  Sam asked.

 

“Yeah, sounds good.  Maybe we can find a dog friendly place.”  Dean said.

 

“Most of the dog friendly ones have outdoor seating, and it’s too cold to sit outside.”  Charlie pulled the collar of her coat higher against a sudden bitter cold wind.  Dean frowned.  She was right, but he also didn’t like the idea of locking the dog up the whole time they were off drinking.

 

“Hey, let’s take her back for now, and I’ll go up and take her for a walk later.  I don’t want to stay out drinking all night, it’s too cold and I’m freezing.”  Charlie pulled thick gloves out of her pocket and put them on.  Gilda was toasty in a thick wool coat, scarf and gloves.  She smirked at her girlfriend.

 

“I told you to dress warmer cause Chicago was colder.” 

 

“Bite me.”  Charlie growled.

 

“Maybe later.”  Gilda grinned.

 

“Ladies, you’re teasing us single folk.”  Benny teased.

 

“There are women everywhere in this city, and most of them will be drunk tonight.  I’m sure you’ll be able to charm someone.”  Dean teased his friend.

 

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, brother.  You think I can only get a drunk girl?  Have you no faith in me?”  Benny placed a hand over his heart in mock offense, then broke out in a grin.  “I charm the ladies simply with my good looks and southern hospitality.  I don’t need them to be drunk, however if that’s how you find lovers…”

 

“Hey now, we were both completely sober when we met.”  Cas laughed. 

 

“He’s just jealous because I have the most gorgeous boyfriend in the world.”  Dean winked at Benny who busted out laughing.

 

“You can keep him, my friend, he’s most definitely _not_ my type.”  Benny’s laugher bellowed out, filling the air around them, making everyone in their group laugh too.  “However, those ladies over there look like maybe they may like to experience my southern charm first hand.”

 

He jogged across the street to two women decked out in more green than was required, even for St. Patty’s Day.

 

“Bastard’s always working his magic.”  Dean laughed. 

 

“He’s very handsome, and that accent is intriguing.”  Cas commented.

 

“Hey!”  Dean shot his boyfriend a dirty look, but that just made Cas laugh.

 

“But I am immune, you know that.  That kind of charm?  It’s a turn off.  Besides, I like green eyes, freckles, and sexy, Kansas accents.”  Cas stole a kiss, happy to see Dean smiling again.

 

“Damn right, you do.”

 

“Gross.”  Sam muttered as he pulled his remote out and unlocked the truck.

 

“Is he coming?”  Gilda nodded towards where Benny was most definitely working his magic on the two women, if the starry eyed looks they were sending him was any indication.  Dean got the dog into the car before turning to get a look.  Oh yeah, both girls were smitten by the Cajun.

 

“Hey, Casanova!  You coming?”  He yelled to his friend.  Benny held up a finger to him to wait.

 

Dean rolled his eyes and climbed into the far backseat where Cas and Poppy were sitting, waiting.

 

“Hey, how does bar hopping for a little bit sound, and then going back to the hotel before we’re too drunk that we can’t…get it up.”  Cas whispered as he snuck a hand down between Dean’s legs, catching him off guard.

 

“Ung!  That s-sounds good.”  Dean whined softly when Cas pulled his hand away. 

 

“Patience, love.  I’m not giving your brother and friends a live performance.”

 

“Hell no, you’re mine.  Literally, as soon as we’re back at the hotel.”  Dean kissed him soundly.  As much as he was looking forward to green beer and Guinness, he was also looking forward to getting Cas back to the hotel.  He made a mental note not to get so shitfaced that he couldn’t get it up later.

 

Benny arrived back at the truck by the time Sam had it warmed up, and then they headed back to the hotel to change, and so Cas and Dean could feed Poppy and take her for a walk.  They’d made plans to meet in the lobby in an hour.

 

After feeding the dog, Dean took her for a walk.  Cas decided to wait in the lobby since there was a dance troupe there doing Irish Ceili dancing, and enjoy the show.  The kids dancing were of varying ages, but even the youngest were very talented.  He wondered what went into teaching children how to dance like this.  Was it the same as shaping their minds in a classroom?  His thoughts turned to the children he hoped to one day have.  Would dance be something they might be interested in?  He had taken ballet very briefly as a child with his sister, mostly because she was afraid to do it on her own.  It had only been for a year or so, but it had been fun.  The only reason he had stopped was because his father had pulled him out.  He’d said dancing was not fitting for a Milton heir.  At the tender age of six, Cas hadn’t understood that.  Dancing had been fun.  It had taught him cooperation and patience as well as rhythm.  He’d kept dancing, though not in a class, for years after.  His sister had taught him.  Sitting now, he could see three or four boys of varying ages, dancing with just as much talent as the girls were.  He wondered whether dance was something Dean liked.  Would he accept a son that wanted to? 

 

As he mulled those thoughts over, someone sat down a little too close beside him on the loveseat.  Thinking it was Dean he turned to ask about the dog, but the words died on his lips when his eyes locked on the green eyes looking at him.  They did not belong to his boyfriend.

 

“Hello, handsome.”  The woman had hair almost as red as Charlie’s, blood red lips, and big green eyes framed in long, thick lashes.  Her smile reminded him of a wolf and he got the sense that if he were the vulnerable type, she’d eat him alive.

 

“Uh, I’m assuming you’re speaking to me?”  He cocked one eyebrow in question.  Her smile widened.

 

“I am.  I saw an empty seat, came over to watch the kids dancing, but lucky me getting to sit next to a gorgeous man.  My name’s Abaddon, but you can call me Abby.”  She held out one hand, palm down, expecting a handshake.  He noticed her nail polish matched her lipstick. 

 

“Nice to meet you, Miss Abaddon.  If you’ll excuse me-”

 

He started to get up but her hand came down on his arm, holding on just tight enough that in order to get her to let go, he’d have to shake her off.  The last thing he wanted though was to make a scene.

 

“Not interested.”  His glare was icy but apparently this woman either couldn’t take a hint or she was just used to getting what she wanted.  She leaned towards him, her low cut sweater (at least that was holding with the colors of the holiday.  It was Kelly green) putting her ample breasts in display.  He refused to give her the satisfaction of glancing down.  His eyes remained locked on hers.

 

“You sure about that?  I’m thinking of going to some of the local bars, getting a few drinks.  I was hoping you’d join me.”  She batted her eyes but there was absolutely nothing even remotely innocent about her.  No longer caring if he disrupted anything, he jerked his arm out of her grasp.

 

“I’m here with my _boyfriend_ and our friends.  The last thing I’m interested in is getting drinks with you.  You really should learn to accept the word “no” at face value.  Not everyone likes a she-wolf.”  He snapped as he got to his feet.  Glancing at the dancers he was thankful they were still doing their performance, none of them giving him even a moment’s notice.  Abby glared at him though, and it gave him chills.

 

“Of course I’d hit on a gay guy.”  She muttered.

 

“Even if I wasn't, I _still_  would not be interested.  That aggressive act?  Might work for some men but it definitely doesn’t work for me.” 

 

“Hey, something going on here?”  Dean wore a worried look as he walked over.  Abby turned her attention to him, interest returning.

 

“Don’t even think about it.  He’s my boyfriend and he’s not interested either.”  Cas warned her.  She shot him a dirty look as Cas grabbed Dean by the arm and led him away.

 

“What was that about?”  Dean asked once they were away from the dance troupe and the small crowd watching them.

 

“That woman.”  Cas was seething.  He clenched his hands at his side.  “She hit on me, I told her no, she kept doing it, so I was forced to be impolite.  Then she saw you and was going to come on to you.” 

 

“Baby, you don’t have to worry, I’m not going to stray.  I’m not like that.”  Dean took Cas in his arms and hugged him close.  “I love you.  I’m not interested in scary women that look like they could eat me alive.  I have Jo around for that.”

 

Cas laughed, the tension slipping away as he wrapped his arms around Dean.

 

“Jo is pretty scary.” 

 

They were still laughing over that when Sam walked up to them.

 

“What’s so funny?” 

 

“Met a woman that might actually be capable of eating a man alive.  She’s scarier than Jo.”  Dean replied.

 

“Yikes, let’s stay away from that one.”  Sam chuckled.

 

“Oh, she already tried to devour Cas.  We’re staying far, far away.”  Dean laughed.

 

“Poppy all settled?”  Cas asked.

 

“Yeah, she has her new bone and she’s gnawing away on it.”  Dean said as he spotted Benny.  He waved him down. 

 

“We ready?  Where are Charlie and Gilda?”  Benny inquired when he didn’t see them.

 

“Here we are!  Sorry, I wanted a sweater on.  I also changed into a long sleeve shirt.”  Charlie said as they walked up. 

 

“You’re too skinny, you need more fat on your bones to stay warm.”  Dean teased.

 

“I’m perfect just the way I am.”  Charlie stuck her nose in the air in mock disdain as they headed for the door.  Dean laughed and bumped her shoulder.

 

“I’m just playing.  You are perfect just the way you are.”

 

She grinned as she linked her arm through his.

 

“So where are we going first?”

 

“At the end of the block is a pub called O’Charley’s.  We’ll start there.  Guinness anyone?”  Dean asked, looking around at everyone.

 

“Can we get food there too?”  Cas was hungry.  They had skipped breakfast and now he was starving.  He didn’t want to drink on an empty stomach or there would be no sex later. 

 

“Yeah, they have food, I made sure to look that up on their website.”  Dean replied.

 

“Good, I’m starving.  I think I want some corned beef.  No cabbage though.”  Cas said.

 

“Eww.”  Charlie wrinkled her nose at that.  “You guys are so gross eating meat.”

 

“You munch on your salad, red.  We’ll enjoy our meat.”  Benny teased.

 

“I’m with them on this.  It’s St. Patrick’s Day, we have to have corned beef.”  Gilda said.

 

“Et tu, Gilda?  Et tu?”  Charlie cried.

 

“You’re out numbered, red, face it.  But it’s ok, we’ll get you a nice big salad.  And we’ll get one for Sammy too.”  Dean assured her.

 

“Bite me, jerk.”  Sam flipped his brother off, despite the fact that he was grinning.

 

“Eat your rabbit food, bitch.”  Dean shot back.

 

Cas was glad none of his brothers had come along for this.

 

  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

They ate and they drank all afternoon, then they ate some more.  Cas made sure everyone tempered the amount of alcohol they were taking in with water, so they stayed hydrated, and didn’t get fall down drunk.  There was no way he was carrying anyone back to the hotel.  They had moved from O’Charley’s to a bar called Blue Paradise, and then to another pub called Dooley’s.  After that Cas had lost track of the names of the places they walked into.  He’d drunk green beer, tried Guinness (he hated that and didn’t understand why Sam and Dean enjoyed it so much, it was so bitter and disgusting), done a few shots, and enjoyed a few Jamison and ginger ales, and by 10 he was moving past buzzed and into drunk territory.  He switched to water, and started pushing it on Dean too to sober him up for the walk back.

 

“Darling, if you’re not sober, we could get lost walking back.  I’m not familiar with this area and I don’t want to get further away from the hotel, not with the temperature dropping.  Please drink the water.”  He pleaded.  Dean didn’t grumble too much before agreeing, and Sam helped with pushing water on everyone. 

 

The walk back to the hotel was longer than expected, and Dean ended up being the most sober one of them all.  Sam and Benny were leaning against one another, singing a silly Irish song about unicorns* while Cas clung to Dean’s arm to keep the world from spinning.  Charlie and Gilda had left a few hours earlier with Cas’ room key so they could take Poppy for a walk.  Parting ways with Benny and Sam, Dean took his boyfriend up to their room. 

 

Poppy was happy to be let out of her cage and when Dean collapsed on the bed, his head still spinning from all of the alcohol he’d been drinking, she jumped up to lick at his face.  He actually giggled, which made Cas laugh.  As he stripped out of his clothes he watched as Dean cuddled the excited puppy, burying his face in her fur to avoid the onslaught she wrought with her tongue.

 

 

“Who’s a good girl?”  Dean hugged the dog close once she finally settled down.  “Who’s my baby?”  Poppy’s tail thumped excitedly against the bed as Dean stroked his fingers through her fur.  “Such a good girl.”

                                                                                                    

“I didn’t know you liked dogs so much.”  Cas grinned as he crawled into the bed with them.  Poppy abandoned Dean to lick his face.  He snapped his fingers and immediately she laid down, though the tail still thumped excitedly.

 

“Good girl.”  He praised her as he scratched behind her ears.

 

“I never really thought about it.  Dogs were ok, cats were ok, but then I met Riot, and she’s not like Charlie’s cats at all.  Those cats drive me nuts.  They’re on the counters, in your lap, begging for food if you even try to eat, and it just…it makes my temper rise until I want to fling them across the room.  Riot is so well behaved and sweet, she’s the opposite of most other cats I’ve met.  I knew a guy years ago that had a cat named Killer.  Seriously, that cat was scary.  She chased visitors right out of his apartment, and fucked up a pizza delivery guy once.  Funny thing was, Dan, the guy I knew, that was his name, he lived on the second floor of a locked building, so when he ordered food he had to go down to open the door and accept his food.  So one time, he forgot to close his apartment door.  Killer came down the stairs and attacked the pizza guy.  Poor guy dropped the boxes and ran, and the cat chased him.  Dan had to go chase after his cat.  He got her back, and after that he had to make sure the apartment door was closed tight so she didn’t do it again.  He couldn’t have girls over, Killer would literally maul them, and visitors in general she would attack.  I only went to his place a few times because I hated that cat.  I’d sit on the couch, my arm on the edge, and she would stalk me, lunge at my arm with teeth and nails extended.  She got me real good once.  You see this scar?”

 

Dean held up his left arm to reveal a crescent shaped scar on his forearm.

 

“She bit you?”  Cas asked.  Dean nodded.

 

“Bit me so hard I had to go get it checked out, make sure she didn’t give me an infection.  My doctor said I’d have needed stitches if I hadn’t been wearing a flannel _and_ my Henley.  But she did that to everyone.  Cat was psycho.  By the second time she tried to attack me, I learned to keep a pillow in my right hand.  If she lunged at me, I smacked her away with the pillow.  She finally got it in her head that I wasn’t one to mess with and eventually started to avoid me altogether.  Boy was I glad for that!  As far as I know, Dan kept her until she was old, blind, and still a super bitch.  He said his vet told him she was one of the most aggressive cats he’d ever met.  She was spayed, up to date on shots, thanks to her penchant for attacking people, Dan made damn sure she had her rabies shot, but she was highly territorial.  The only person she accepted was Dan, and even he got scratched and bit a few times, though not like she did to strangers.  I hated that cat.”  Dean muttered.

 

“I can’t say I’d have liked her much either.”  Cas had never heard of a cat being so aggressive.  It was a scary thought.

 

“Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is that I have known other cats, but the only one I really like is Riot.  She’s my little buddy.  And Poppy…”  Dean scratched the dog’s back and smiled.  “She’s my buddy too.  I’ve never met a dog so sweet.  I wouldn’t mind having a dog if they were like her, but I’m happy to spoil her.  I hear pets are good practice for having kids later.”

 

“Mmm, I’ve heard that too.  I don’t know how accurate it really is though.  Can’t exactly lock a child in a kennel when they’ve chewed the couch cushions.”  Laughter bubbled up in Cas’ chest at the thought.  Dean joined in.

 

“Fuck, I’m drunk.  I need to pee.”  Dean struggled to get up from the bed and stagger to the bathroom.  Cas sighed and let himself fall back across the bed.  Poppy moved so that her head was resting on his stomach.  He was determined to let the alcohol wear off so they could enjoy their last night in the city before making the drive back home.  This was a mini vacation for him, and damn it, he wanted to have hot, hotel sex!  Dean wasn’t currently in any shape to get it up though.  He turned his head so he could see the clock on the night stand.  It was a little after 11.  More water was in order to sober them both up.

 

“Dean?  Can you bring some water back with you?”

 

He received a grunt of acknowledgement.  With a sigh he rolled onto his stomach, pillowing his head on his arms.  Poppy got bored and jumped down to go see what Dean was doing.

 

“No, Poppy, let me pee!”  Dean’s complaint made Cas laugh.  The dog came trotting out of the bathroom and headed for her kennel where her bed and toys were.  When Dean came out of the bathroom with the glass of water, he handed it over to Cas.

 

“She stuck her head in the bowl as I was peeing.  I don’t think I got any on her, but I’m not really sure.  If she smells like pee tomorrow, I’m sorry.”

 

Cas had sat up to drink his water and waved his boyfriend’s concern off.

 

“I can give her a bath, it’s not a problem.”

 

Dean shrugged off his jeans and nearly fell when he realized he’d forgotten to take his boots off first.  Once those were off, the pants were abandoned too.  From there he fought to remove his tee shirt, and then he was pulling his underwear off too.

 

“Hey, what’s with the nudity?”  Cas asked.

 

“I’m hot.”  Dean grumbled as he flopped down in the bed on his face.

 

“You’re drunk.”  Cas finished off the glass of water before deciding it was a good time to purge his own body of liquids.  After nearly 60 straight seconds of peeing, he refilled the cup with more water and brought it to Dean.

 

“Drink this.”

 

“I’m sobering up.  Slowly.”  Dean groaned as he flopped onto his back and forced himself to sit up.  He took the cup though and drank half of it.

 

“Good.  You still owe me sex, but I want to enjoy it.  If we fall off the bed and crack our heads, that’s not fun.”

 

“We could have sex _on_ the floor.”  Dean reasoned.  Cas glaring at him was all the answer he needed.  “Or not.”

 

“Damn right, or not.  If I need a pillow under my knees just to kneel on the living room floor and give you a blow job, I’m certainly not having sex on the floor.  I’ll be a mess Monday with my back.”  Cas grumbled.  Dean snickered as he finished off the rest of the water.

 

“I’m done drinking liquids for the rest of the night.”  He set the cup on the nightstand and reached out to pull Cas into the bed with him.  “Until later, after I’ve had my way with you, gorgeous.”

 

“Mmm, I like the sound of that.  How about we find a movie to watch until the room is no longer spinning for either of us?”  Cas looped his arms around Dean’s neck and kissed him.  He could taste the remnants of beer still.

 

“That…sounds like a fabulous idea.  If I fall asleep though, you better wake me up.  I’m not missing out on plowing you into this mattress until you’re screaming my name.”  Dean nipped at Cas’ ear, perking up at the soft gasp that slipped from his boyfriend’s lips.

 

“I can do that.”  Cas promised.  He got back in the bed and curled up against Dean’s side as he searched for a movie to watch.  Settling on Goonies, which felt strange to watch with Dean laying there naked like he was, they focused on the movie and waited out the alcoholic fog that seemed to linger around them both.  Dean ended up dozing off halfway through the movie and Cas fell asleep just before the ending.  Neither man woke until the sun was coming up in the sky.

 

  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

Missing out on a night of raunchy sex, they made up for it that morning.  Several times, in fact.  After showering, feeding and walking Poppy, they set about packing everything back up and getting it all put into the car.  They met Sam and the others in the lobby to say their goodbyes, and after checking out, they hit the road.

 

They ate on the drive back, pausing for a quick fast food meal that they took on the road with them.  By the time they reached Cas’ house, they were worn out and in need of a nap, so they took one.  Riot, so happy to have them home again, slept in the middle of Dean’s chest.  They woke a few hours later and while Cas got started with the unpacking and doing some laundry, Dean got dinner started.  It was all so incredibly domestic, and it made him incredibly happy.

 

Cas came downstairs to find Dean setting the table.  Poppy was bouncing around his feet, trying to get him to throw her squeaky ball and he was calmly explaining that he was busy.  It squeezed at Cas’ heart to see Dean like that, so patient and loving with her, even when he wasn’t looking.  He knew that one day, Dean was going to make an amazing father.

 

“Hey, everything put away?”  Dean asked when he spotted him lingering near the island.

 

“Oh, yes, except Poppy’s new things.  I’m not sure where to put her collapsible kennel, or her travel dishes.”

 

“Well, there’s space in the garage, I think.  Or you could store them in the basement.”  Dean suggested.

 

“Yes, I think the basement would be better, there is some room down there.”  Cas agreed.

 

“As long as we can find them easily for future trips.”  Dean said.  Cas smiled at that.  He liked the sound of “future trips”.

 

“So, what did you end up making for dinner?  It smells amazing.”

 

“Well, I found this bag of liquid stuff in the cabinet, and it said to just pour it over some chicken breasts and pop them in the oven, so…that’s what I did.  It’s supposed to be rotisserie chicken flavor.  I’ve never tried them before, so I hope it’s good.  I made mashed potatoes, brown gravy, and peas to go with it.”  Dean replied.

 

“The chicken will be good, I’ve made that several times before.  Dinner sounds amazing.”  Cas moved to let Poppy out to play in the yard while they ate, and then joined Dean at the table.

 

“So, next month is Easter.”  Dean said as he served each of them a piece of the chicken.

 

“Yes, it is.”  Cas wondered where he was going with this train of thought.

 

“Does your family celebrate it?”  Dean asked.

 

“Well, we used to do the whole big thing, but mostly now we celebrate with our own separate families, since my brothers and Anna are all married.  Gabe and I usually just go to a restaurant together or we might stop by and see our parents.  Why, do you celebrate it?”  Cas cut into his chicken as he waited for Dean’s answer.

 

“Well, yeah.  See, my whole family gets together at my mom’s house.  Parents, stepparents, brothers, sister, and a few other relatives too.  My stepmom is jealous that my mom got to meet you, and she asked me if I was bringing you to dinner.”  Dean explained.  Cas had started eating but he quickly swallowed his bite of potatoes and smiled.

 

“You want to bring me home to meet the entire family?”

 

“Well, it sort of doesn’t count since you like, already met a third of them, but yeah.  I want you to meet my dad, Kate, Wendy, Adam.  It’ll be great.  Mom still gives us chocolate for Easter, and we have pie and homemade lamb cake for dessert.  It’s really laid back and fun.  So, will you come with me?”  Dean didn’t have to wait long for his answer.

 

“Of course I’ll go with you.  I would love to meet the rest of your family.”  Cas replied with a wide smile.

 

Dean was beaming.  “Cool.”

**Author's Note:**

> Next up will be Easter. Barring anymore pain issues or anything else major coming up, it should be up by the 15th. Keep an eye out, and to everyone reading this series, thank you, and I hope you're all enjoying it.
> 
> ***The song Benny and Sam were singing? It's a real song. I grew up on The Irish Rovers and can sing most of their songs still to this day. This particular one though? Was my absolute favorite. Here you go, Unicorn, by The Irish Rovers:
> 
> https://youtu.be/_EPsuOEH1fY


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